Procreate: Why is the artists’ favorite app (and some alternatives for Android)

Among the hundreds of applications that exist for iPad, there is one that stands out in a particular way. This is Procreate, the application that has become one of the most important illustration tools. Therefore, it is no surprise to find more than one digital course on the web to learn how to use it. Did you know that it is the best app to draw on iPad?

Procreate was launched in the App Store in 2011 and since then there has been no other creative iPad application that surpasses it. What is this about? The artists who use it coincide in three aspects: potentiality, versatility and simplicity.

Loved by creatives, designers and illustrators, this paid app has unique features and intuitive creative tools that allow any beginner or professional to create expressive sketches, inspiring paintings, amazing illustrations and amazing animations. In other words: Procreate Ipad is like having your drawing studio at hand.

And, as if that weren’t enough, it has a community of Procreate artists where you can share your creations.

But if you still have not been clear what this application is for, lose care, because in this note we will tell you everything you need to know about it.

Download the Digital Illustration ebook for free

Why Procreate iPad?

To understand why many designers and artists prefer Procreate, it is necessary to know the features and functions that make it incomparable.

The best brushes

Procreate knows that brushes are the fundamental piece to achieve a spectacular drawing or illustration. What would we do without them? Therefore, it has a library with more than 200 brushes, from pencils, inks, charcoal, to artistic brushes that create beautiful textures. What else allows you to do this function?

– Customize each existing brush, thanks to Brush Studio.

– Download thousands of brushes and adapt them to the style you want.

– Create your own brushes from scratch and configure them to your liking.

– Import your favorite Photoshop brushes.

Color control

Another of the most important elements in the drawing process is color and Procreate has paid special attention to it. Thanks to the tools “Color Dynamics”, “Color Harmony”, “Color Companiom” and “Color History” you can have complete color control. For example:

– To select the color you want, you just have to touch and hold the canvas. As simple as that.

– Or use “Color Companiom”, which allows you to bring the color circle of the menu to the creative zone.

Powerful movements

Multi-touch or the popular two-finger touch to “Undo” is another feature for which many creatives prefer this application. You can “Redo” with a touch of three fingers and “Hide UI” (hide the interface) with a touch of four fingers. In addition, these intuitive touches keep the app’s interface to a minimum.

Performance and speed

Due to the power of the Valkyrie graphics engine, designed to get the best iPad performance, Procreate brushes will move as fast as you draw or paint.

In addition, you can draw at an incredible speed of 120 fps, thanks to Apple’s ProMotion technology.

Unique features

This application has industry leading features such as “QuickShape”, “StreamLine”, “Drawing Assist” and “ColorDrop”. The objective? Make the most of the iPad and the Apple Pencil. For example:

– Thanks to “QuickShape” you can get perfect shapes when drawing.

– “ColorDrop” allows you to choose a color and drag it to the canvas to fill an area.

– And “StreamLine” helps you simplify the strokes for smoother curves.

Source control

Typography is an essential part of some illustrations and this app knows it. Therefore, it allows you to adjust the fonts as you wish. From scaling, distorting or coloring the text. You can also import your favorite fonts.

Digital effects

If you are looking for incredible results in your illustrations, the “Liquify Dynamics” tool will help you achieve it. With “Distortion”, “Momentum” and “Adjust” you will have control over deformation and pixel displacement.

Blur effects such as “Gaussian”, “Motion” and “Perspective Blur” will add depth to your art project. You can intuitively control the amount of blur with the swipe of a finger.

Illustrate your own poster with Procreate and Little Captain

Animation Assist

It is an animation tool that will allow you to give life to your creations within Procreate. This means that each of your movements will be recorded through time-lapse. So you can share the process of your creations on social networks.

Apple Pencil

If you still wonder, why is Procreate so popular? One of the answers is the Apple Pencil. The precision and comfort of the Apple Pencil are part of the artistic experience of this app, which was always designed with the iPad in mind.

For example, the second generation Apple Pencil allows you to quickly switch between brush, pencil and highlighter with two touches, while its matte finish helps you hold it like a common pencil.

Procreate Android? Some alternatives

While this app is only available for iPad, there are other drawing and painting applications that are compatible with Android tablets. And we found them on Google Play. For this selection, we have considered the assessment, the number of downloads and, most importantly, the comments of the users themselves. Let’s see what they are.

Autodesk SketchBook

It is a free alternative widely used by professionals. For this app, the most important thing is that the user gets lost in their creativity and not in the menus. Therefore, it has a beautiful interface focused on maximizing the drawing space on each device. In addition, as described on its website, it has “pencils, inks, markers and more than 190 customizable brushes that can incorporate both textures and figures.”

Download this free pack of Photoshop brushes

to download

Ibis Paint X

It is a very popular and versatile drawing application. It has more than 800 fonts, which provide 325 brushes and 63 filters; as well as transformation tools and frames. In addition, it allows you to add as many layers as you need and record the process of your drawing to share it in your community.

to download

MediBang Paint

This application is primarily intended for the creation of comics. It has a simple and easy to use interface. It has more than 100 brushes, 850 shades, textures, backgrounds, text balloons and the right fonts to give your comics a professional look. In addition, it allows you to use a photo and draw on it in a new layer.

And if you want to access the cloud storage, you will only have to register for free on their website.

to download

Artflow

That is a painting and drawing application with a quick and intuitive interface. It has support for pressure-sensitive pencils (such as Samsung’s S Pen), 10 layer filters and more than 100 brushes, stains, fillings and an eraser tool. It also allows you to create custom brushes from imported images.

Although it is a free application, to activate it on all devices associated with your Google account you will need to buy a single license.

to download

Are you one of those who was very curious about Procreate, but until today you had no time to know more about her? We hope this note has increased your interest in this app. What if the next step is to learn how to use it? If you are thinking about it, do not hesitate to take a look at some of these courses. Until the next note!